In the winter of 1804-1805, the Lewis & Clark Expedition was huddled in winter quarters at Fort Mandan, which is now in North Dakota. In the winter of 1805, the newly built fort was deep in an almost unknown territory known as the Louisiana Purchase. After paddling up the Missouri River for much of 1804, the explorers were consolidating and reviewing their discoveries, of the past year, among the friendly Mandan Indians.

This 200 year-old map is one of the most historically important pieces in the history of the United States. It was created by Nicholas King based on cartographic information sent back to Washington by William Clark (although attributed to Lewis) in early 1805, while the Lewis & Clark expedition was wintering at Fort Mandan. As the map states, "The country west of Fort Mandan is laid down principally from Indian information."

This map depicts both the information gained by the Lewis & Clark, on their travels up Missouri to Fort Mandan, and the sketchy, anecotal information available to the explorers for the rest of their expedition. As you will see, very little was known about the western portion of the United States in 1805.

There are very few original copies of this map in existence. This replica is almost the only way to own a copy of this important piece that was originally created two centuries ago.

**Click the More Information tab above for detailed information about the Printing and Framing process of this replica map.**

Available Sizes

Price

Shipping

24" x 34" Unframed

$129.00

Free!

29" x 42" Unframed

$149.00

Free!

24" x 34" + Frame

$269.00

Free!

29" x 42" + Frame

$309.00

Free!

Notes: 1. If framed, this map is custom made so it takes approximately 1-2 weeks before it ships. Just the map takes 1-3 days to ship.

2. All sizes are approximate. Because they are taken from authentic antiques, very few pieces are exact "standard sizes".

Frame Options

About the Printing Process

The process of creating these antique replicas is long and arduous. Many of the reproductions are taken from maps and prints in an extensive collection of more than 25,000 originals. Some images are purchased from other private collections or have been obtained from the U.S. Library of Congress.

Each original in the collection has been scanned at very high resolution (from 400 to 800 dpi). Each digitized piece is then meticulously repaired, digitally enhanced, carefully color corrected, proofed, and inspected. The digital repair and restoration staff is one of the finest in the industry and they have spent many thousands of hours creating the antique replicas you see on our website.

After restoration, the resulting massive digital file (in some cases greater than 500MB) is sent to a state-of-the-art giclee printer. These 7-color printers are the same as those used by the finest art galleries and artists in the world to create incredibly high quality art reproductions.

To create a warm, textured, durable work of art, they print our works on the finest, matte finish, waterproof canvas. Using state-of-the art digital giclee printers they create a printed image with a resolution so fine that it takes a jewelers loupe to detect the dot pattern.

The pigment inks are some of the finest made. They deliver the quality of dye-based inks with a substantially longer life. These inks are categorized as archival quality and have been shown resist fading for decades (or much longer with proper conservation framing or storage). The use of 7-colors allow for the reproduction of almost any imaginable color along with enhanced grayscale reproduction (due to two different black inks).

Finally, each piece is protected with a special, UV-filtering coating to keep them looking good for generations. The result is a map, print, or photograph that is better than the original from which it came. The detail and color are as close as possible to those of the works when originally created. The texture and quality of our canvas truly sets these pieces apart from anything available at a price that is incredibly low.

Our antique map, print and photo reproductions are guaranteed to be superior to those of most of our competitors, who either fail to restore, repair, and enhance the works or create prints on cheap paper, often with lower quality equipment.

About the Framing Process

Let our custom framers create a stunning addition to your home or office decor. They use only the finest quality materials to make your antique replica ready-to-hand or ready-to give.

Here is the process:

They start by applying a protective, UV-filtering coating across the entire surface of your canvas giclee replica. This protects the piece from premature fading (we still suggest it be kept away from direct sunlight).

They then dry mount your piece to an acid-free board (with acid-free mounting materials) to ensure it stays flat and wrinkle-free. Acid-free materials cost more, but help ensure that your antique reproduction will last for generations.

Our wood frames are the finest made. We have chosen some classic frame styles that complements the antique appearance of our collection. Frames are available in a variety of finishes to match almost any decor. These frames are carefully cut and assembled, by hand, to the exact dimensions of your custom made piece.

Finally, we add some extra finishing touches that few framers offer. Each framed work is sealed with a special black paper (instead of the cheaper brown kraft paper) with an amazing new Kevlar® cord hanging system. This hanging cord is as strong as steel cable, but doesn't mar your walls (or stab your fingers).

The result is the finest custom frame available at a fraction of the price of most local frame shops (we have priced similar framing at 2 to 3 times more). We are sure you will be thrilled with your custom framed antique replica!